Wideband acoustic immittance measurements of the middle ear: introduction and some historical antecedents.

This supplement focuses on some of the most recent acoustic measurements within the occluded, human external auditory meatus (EAM). The goal of this introduction is to provide an overview of basic and clinical EAM measurements that evolved in the 20th century and some relations between these measurements and wideband acoustic absorbance. The authors review some of the major efforts that have been used to evaluate the condition of the human, adult middle ear transmission system, the middle ear cavity, and the function of the Eustachian tube. They have grouped most of this work under the rubric of "acoustic immittance." A historical perspective helps one appreciate that the measurement of wideband acoustic absorbance is not a totally new procedure. Rather, it is the latest enhancement to aural acoustic-immittance measurements. An enhancement that can expand one's ability to characterize middle ear function and effects of ear disease on that function. It also allows clinicians evaluate middle ear function for frequencies whose wavelength is shorter than the length of the EAM.

Sonotubometry: eustachian tube ventilatory function test: a state-of-the-art review.

OBJECTIVE: Disturbance of any of the ET functions may contribute to the development of otitis media. Sonotubometry measures the ventilatory function using sound. The qualities of sonotubometry as a test for eustachian tube ventilatory function have been studied by various investigators. The development of the method is described in the review, and a summary of the study results is provided to make an estimate of the diagnostic potential of this eustachian tube function test. DATA SOURCES: The English-language literature on the topic was searched systematically by Medline and Pubmed using the following key words: ventilatory function, eustachian tube, sonotubometry, and function test. There were no limits for the year of publication. STUDY SELECTION: Articles that described the method itself (validity, reproducibility, diagnostic value) were studied in detail. DATA EXTRACTION: All the articles described in study selection were used for this review. CONCLUSIONS: The technique of sonotubometry has been improved gradually over the years. The results of sonotubometry are at least as good as those of other function tests. However, because the results still tend to be ambiguous in children and otitis media is most common in this population, the reproducibility and application of sonotubometry must be evaluated further. Sonotubometry has great advantages over other function tests, but it is not used routinely to assess eustachian tube ventilatory function because its value for clinical practice has not yet been adequately demonstrated. The review showed that sonotubometry can be improved further and that efforts to do so seem justified because it forms a particularly promising method to assess eustachian tube function in children with suspected eustachian tube disease.

The origin of impedance audiometry.

Impedance audiometry is performed every day in nearly every ENT department, office and, audiology clinic all over the world. But hardly anyone occupied with these measurements has any idea of the origin of this Danish contribution to otolaryngology.

Algunos apuntes históricos sobre el conducto otofaringeco o tuba / Some historical notes on the auditory or eustachian tube

El autor realiza una revisión histórica de los diferentes avances que se han producido en la evolución del conocimiento del conducto otofaríngeco, dividiendo éstos en cuatro periodos cronológicos: descriptico, fisiológico, terapéutico y actual. Se revisa los diferentes apuntes efectuados por quienes se preocuparon del tema, desde los egipcios momento actual